The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense,the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces,and is a high-ranking member of the federal cabinet. The secretary of defense's position of command and authority over the military is second only to that of the president of the United States,who is the commander-in-chief. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a defense minister in many other countries. The secretary of defense is appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate,and is by custom a member of the Cabinet and by law a member of the National Security Council.
The United States Central Command is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983,taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF).
Mark Traecey Patrick Kimmitt is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs,serving under George W. Bush from August 2008 to January 2009;he was the 16th person to hold the post. Prior to joining the State Department,he was a brigadier general in the United States Army,and served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East. Kimmitt has also served as deputy director for strategy and plans for the United States Central Command,and deputy director for operations/chief military spokesman for coalition forces in Iraq,and served at NATO's SHAPE headquarters in Belgium.
The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the U.S. The Department of the Army is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is organized,and it is led by the secretary of the Army,who has statutory authority under 10 United States Code §7013 to conduct its affairs and to prescribe regulations for its government,subject to the limits of the law,and the directions of the secretary of defense and the president.
James Norman Mattis is an American military veteran who served as the 26th United States secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. A retired Marine Corps four-star general,he commanded forces in the Persian Gulf War,the War in Afghanistan,and the Iraq War.
Lloyd James Austin III is a retired United States Army four-star general who has served as the 28th and current United States secretary of defense since January 22,2021.
The United States under secretary of defense for policy (USDP) is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Defense. The under secretary of defense for policy is the principal staff assistant and adviser to both the secretary of defense and the deputy secretary of defense for all matters concerning the formation of national security and defense policy.
John Charles Rood is an American national security adviser and former government official who served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from January 2018 to February 2020. Before that,he was Senior Vice President of Lockheed Martin where he oversaw international business. He also served as vice president for Domestic Business Development at Lockheed Martin and he was a vice president at the Raytheon Company.
The United States Department of Defense is an executive branch department of the federal government of the United States charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the U.S. government directly related to national security and the United States Armed Forces. As of June 2022,the U.S. Department of Defense is the largest employer in the world,with over 1.34 million active-duty service members,including soldiers,marines,sailors,airmen,and guardians. The Department of Defense also maintains over 778,000 National Guard and reservists,and over 747,000 civilians bringing the total to over 2.87 million employees. Headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington County,Virginia,just outside Washington,D.C.,the Department of Defense's stated mission is to provide "the military forces needed to deter war and ensure our nation's security".
Frank Graham Klotz served as Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy. He was confirmed for the position on April 8,2014,and retired on January 20,2018.
Joseph Francis Dunford Jr. is a retired United States Marine Corps general who served as the 19th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1,2015 to September 30,2019. He was the 36th commandant of the Marine Corps. Dunford is the first Marine Corps officer to serve in four different four-star positions;the others include commander of the International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces –Afghanistan from February 2013 to August 2014,and as the thirty-second assistant commandant of the Marine Corps from October 23,2010 to December 15,2012. He has commanded several units,including the 5th Marine Regiment during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Frank Gorenc is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who served as the Commander,United States Air Forces in Europe –Air Forces Africa and Commander,Allied Air Command. He previously served as the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director,Air Staff,Headquarters,United States Air Force at the Pentagon. Gorenc is a command pilot with more than 4,100 flight hours in the T-38A,F-15C,MQ-1B,UH-1N and C-21A. He assumed his final assignment on 2 August 2013.
Charles Quinton Brown Jr. is a United States Air Force general who has served as the 21st chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since October 1,2023. Prior to his appointment,Brown served as the 22nd chief of staff of the Air Force from 2020 to 2023. Brown entered the Air Force in 1984 and served as a fighter pilot,where he has logged over 3,000 flight hours,including 130 hours in combat. He has commanded the Pacific Air Forces,U.S. Air Forces Central Command,31st Fighter Wing,8th Fighter Wing,U.S. Air Force Weapons School,and 78th Fighter Squadron. He has also served as deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command.
Paul Joseph Selva is a retired United States Air Force general who served as the tenth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity,he was the nation's second-highest-ranking military officer,and the highest-ranking officer in the Air Force. He assumed his last assignment on July 31,2015,and retired on August 1,2019. Selva is a command pilot with more than 3,100 hours in the C-5,C-17A,C-141B,C-37,KC-10,KC-135A and T-37.
Timothy Michael Ray is a retired United States Air Force general who last served as the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command from August 21,2018,to August 27,2021. He concurrently served as the commander of Air Forces Strategic –Air,United States Strategic Command. His two previous assignments were as the Deputy Commander,United States European Command,and as the Commander,Third Air Force. He previously served as the director of global power programs in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition,Headquarters United States Air Force,Washington,D.C.
Terrence John O'Shaughnessy is a retired United States Air Force four-star general who previously served as the commander of United States Northern Command and as the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command.
Mark Thomas Esper is an American politician and manufacturing executive who served as the 27th United States secretary of defense from 2019 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party,he had previously served as the 23rd U.S. secretary of the Army from November 2017 to July 2019.
The National Defense Strategy (NDS) is produced by the United States Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and is signed by the United States Secretary of Defense as the United States Department of Defense's (DoD) capstone strategic guidance. The NDS translates and refines the National Security Strategy (NSS) (produced by the U.S. President's staff and signed by the President) into broad military guidance for military planning,military strategy,force posturing,force constructs,force modernization,etc. It is expected to be produced every four years and to be generally publicly available.
Jeffrey Lee Harrigian is a retired United States Air Force general who last served as the commander of United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa from May 2020 to June 2022. He concurrently served as the commander of Allied Air Command and director of the Joint Air Power Competence Center. He previously served as deputy commander and as commander of United States Air Forces Central Command. Raised in Sparks,Nevada,he graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in International Affairs and was commissioned in 1985. He assumed his capstone assignment on May 1,2019.
Lieutenant General John L. Dolan is a retired United States Air Force officer who last served as the director for operations (J-3) on the Joint Chiefs of Staff from August 2016 to October 2018. Before that,he served as the commander of United States Forces Japan and commander of 5th Air Force from June 2015 to August 2016.
